collaborationhttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/6735/all
enHow to Go Further with Dropboxhttp://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_go_further_dropbox
<!--paging_filter--><p>The Dropbox service lets you store and access your files remotely, but that's just the beginning. Once your files are uploaded, the service lets you do a whole lot more, particularly when it comes to sharing and collaboration.</p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_main.png" /></p><p>One of its most useful features is sharing, and you can easily send links to files, folders, and albums to others to allow access, complete with access controls or permissions. You can also create shared folders others can join when invited — the folder appears inside their Dropbox, and content they place into it is automatically synced. You can see how handy this would be for working on projects with people over the Internet: no need to email files, just keep a synced folder of files.&nbsp;</p><p>When you collaborate, several people may open and work on a single document, so it’s important to know if and when changes have been made. Luckily, Dropbox also supports versioning. As a new version of a file is saved and synced, it keeps both the old and new versions, and you can access or restore any version at any time. And if someone accidentally deletes a file, that’s no problem either. Synced items that you remove from your local Dropbox folder or manually delete from your main file list on the Dropbox website are not fully deleted from Dropbox’s servers; they just disappear from your listing, and are removed from your computer’s storage. They can be restored, unless you choose to permanently delete them.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>1. Share a File</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_1.png" width="620" height="354" /></p><p>The main file list in your Dropbox web account provides a way to send a link to any file easily. Click once on a file to highlight it, and a link icon appears. There’s also a link in the toolbar at the top of the file list that performs the same action. Click Share Link and your file is opened in web view.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>2. Email the Link</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_2.png" width="620" height="367" /></p><p>Click Share at the top of the screen and a window opens where you can enter the email addresses of recipients, as well as add an optional message. Facebook and Twitter buttons let you post the link to your social media account. Click Send, or click Get Link to copy the link to the clipboard.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>3. Create a New Folder</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_3.png" width="620" height="266" /></p><p>To share multiple files, group them into a folder first. Click on the New Folder button in the toolbar at the top and name your folder. Now select the items in the list that you want — to select multiple items, click the first, then Command-click any others you want — and drag them into the new folder.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>4. Share the Folder</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_4.png" /></p><p>Select your new folder in the main file list and right-click on it. This is yet another way to share an item — by using the contextual menu. Repeat the previous steps to enter the recipients’ email addresses and send a link to that folder. If you edit the contents of the folder, the link still works.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>5. Collaborate on a Folder</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_5.png" /></p><p>To create a collaborative folder, right-click on it in the list and select Invite to Folder. Again, add a recipient’s details plus an optional message. You can also allow the recipient to invite others — or not, if you want to keep it private. The folder appears in their Dropbox account.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>6. View Versions of a File</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_6.png" width="620" height="252" /></p><p>If you open and modify a file in your Dropbox folder, the updated version is synced to the cloud. If you right-click the file on the Dropbox website and select Previous Versions, you see all available versions from newest to oldest, as well as who uploaded it and when it was synced.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>7. Restore a Previous Version</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_7.png" width="620" height="382" /></p><p>From the versions list, you can select any previous version and restore it by clicking Restore. Now the version shown in your main file list is the one you selected. If you look at the previous Versions list again, you see nothing has been overwritten; everything remains available.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>8. Restore a Deleted File</strong></p><p><img src="/files/u332541/dropbox_8.png" width="620" height="247" /></p><p>If you’ve deleted a synced file from your Mac or from Dropbox, it isn’t actually gone. Click the trash-can icon at the top of the main file list to show deleted files, then right-click on a deleted file and choose Restore to undelete it, or you can choose Permanently Delete to get rid of it for good.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_go_further_dropbox#commentscloudcollaborationDropboxshareMacHow-TosTue, 17 Jun 2014 21:01:37 +0000Hollin Jones20160 at http://www.maclife.comMicrosoft Launches Revamped Web-Based Edition of Officehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/microsoft_launches_revamped_webbased_edition_office
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/office_online_620px.png" alt="Office Online" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>The web-based version of Microsoft Office has never been a truly formidable foe against Google's own cloud solution, but a volley of updates released this week hope to tip the scales back in Redmond's favor.<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.office.com/2014/02/19/introducing-office-online/" target="_blank">Microsoft today announced the launch of Office Online</a>, a consolidation of the company's Office.com and Office Web Apps that promise to make its virtual productivity suite easier to use.<br /><br />Gone is the "Web Apps" name, which Microsoft claims confused consumers by making them believe there was something that needed to be installed. Office Online is a more streamlined branding for the web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, all of which automatically save documents to a connected OneDrive account.<br /><br />The first three of those web apps -- er, online solutions -- now feature hundreds of new templates for getting started on any document faster than ever before. And did we mention that Office Online is still free? (That's a rarely used word for Microsoft.)<br /><br />Office Online has also beefed up on its collaboration skills, including real-time dynamic editing between desktop and web versions. Last but not least, Office Online offers an in-app (there's that word again) switcher for easily jumping between each cloud-based solution.<br /><br />One thing that hasn't changed is the destination: Head over to Office.com and get a look at the new and improved Office Online today.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/microsoft_launches_revamped_webbased_edition_office#commentsNewscollaborationExcelMicrosoftmicrosoft officemicrosoft wordOffice OnlineOffice.comOneNotePowerPointtemplatesMacThu, 20 Feb 2014 14:12:45 +0000J.R. Bookwalter19370 at http://www.maclife.comLatest iWork for iCloud Update Brings Real-Time Collaborative Featureshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/latest_iwork_icloud_update_brings_realtime_collaborative_features
<!--paging_filter--><p>iWork may not have regained the <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/news/following_criticism_apple_announces_missing_features_will_return_iwork" target="_blank">missing features</a> that so many users miss from the pre-Mavericks version so far, but <a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/11/14/iwork-for-icloud-apps-add-promised-collaboration-features-folders-more/" target="_blank">9to5 Mac</a> reports that Apple did release a significant update today for iWork for iCloud that allows for real-time collaborative efforts.</p><p>Users of Google Drive (and Google Docs before it) will be familiar with many of the features. As of the new update, you can now see the names of all users who are currently editing the document in question, and you can also enable "cursors and selections" for each viewer to see their edits in real time.</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2013/11/newicloud.jpg" width="620" height="447" /></p><p><strong>Source: <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2013/11/14/apples-iwork-for-icloud-apps-gain-new-collaboration-features/" target="_blank">MacRumors</a></strong></p><p>The update also includes some other small improvements. A new option to make folders improves organization, and now you can finally print from the Tools menu. Working on a big Keynote project? You'll be happy to learn that you can now skip slides during playback.</p><p>All it takes to initiate such collaborative efforts is to send a link to the document to another user. The new iWork for iCloud software is free through Apple's<a href="https://www.icloud.com/" target="_blank"> iCloud site</a>, which can potentially make Apple's productivity suite more widely embraced than it has been in the past.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer,<a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">&nbsp;Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/latest_iwork_icloud_update_brings_realtime_collaborative_features#commentsNewscloudcollaborationDocumentsiCloudiWorkMacproductivityFri, 15 Nov 2013 00:22:27 +0000Leif Johnson18626 at http://www.maclife.com35 Great iPad Apps for Workhttp://www.maclife.com/article/features/35_great_ipad_apps_work
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u330237/2013/06/work_cover_620.png" width="620" height="435" /></p><p>It’s easy to forget the iPad’s been around for only three years, since it’s made such a big footprint in our day-to-day lives. It’s great for lean-back, leisurely weekend activities like watching a movie, video chatting with faraway relatives, and playing a few rounds of Words with Friends. But don’t leave it behind when it’s time to return to the salt mines Monday morning — turns out, the iPad works at the office almost as hard as you do.&nbsp;</p><p>Obviously, there’s an app for anything you need to do, and we’ll cover some of our favorites here. The iPad actually does some things better than your computer or smartphone: mind mapping, sketching plans on a virtual whiteboard with colleagues miles away, planning out projects, keeping your team connected. It can make dealing with huge quantities of email more fun, and the one-app-at-a-time approach is great for distraction-free focus when you’re writing or putting together a presentation. It’s time to put your iPad to work.&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/features/35_great_ipad_apps_work#commentsGalleryAppLifeAppsbrainstormcollaborationcommunicationiOSplanningprintproductivityproductivity appsscheduleschedulingWorkwriting appsFeaturesiPadiPhoneiPodSat, 08 Jun 2013 02:53:17 +0000Susie Ochs17201 at http://www.maclife.comGoogle Introduces Discussions to Google Docshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/google_introduces_discussions_google_docs
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u310634/screen_shot_2011-03-16_at_5.46.29_pm.png" alt="Google Docs" title="Google Docs" width="255" height="83" class="graphic-right" />Most people who've tried Google Docs loves the free online document editing service, and with good reason: it's easy to use, powerful, and free, and Google continually iterates and improves the service. Case in point: today they've announced the addition of a robust discussions system, available for all newly created documents.</p><p>Google's made a fun -- and timely -- video describing the benefits of the new feature:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If you've ever used Google's ill-fated Wave, this will seem fairly familiar to you: you can leave and reply to comments on specific areas of your document in real-time, you can receive e-mail notifications of new comments, and reply to them via e-mail. Where this seems to up Google Wave's way of doing this is by shuffling the documents into the margins, rather than making the entire document the comment area.</p><p>It seems that in the long run, Google Wave's lasting impact will be on other services within the Google ecosystem, which all seem to be benefiting from the ideas worked out in Wave, if not the code itself.&nbsp;</p><p>If you want to try out the new Google Discussions features, simply go to <a href="http://docs.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Docs</a>, create a new document, and invite some folks to talk to.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/google_introduces_discussions_google_docs#commentsNewscollaborationdocument editingGoogleGoogle DocsWed, 16 Mar 2011 21:48:26 +0000Brian Hogg10310 at http://www.maclife.comHow To Build a Chat Room on the Cheap with Google Docshttp://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_build_chat_room_cheap_google_docs
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u286882/google-docs.jpg" width="250" height="236" /></p><p><br />If you're a savvy geek--which, as a reader of this site, you <em>totally</em> are--you can turn to the powerful real-time text input and collaboration technology built in to Google Docs. With the recent announcement that Google's cloud-based productivity suite now boasts the ability to edit and collaborate on documents from Android and iOS devices, there's no excuse for not doing so!</p><p>You can set up your own private chatroom and message board by following these few simple steps:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>1. Get an Account</h3><p>If you don't already have a Google account, you're going to need one. The same goes for anyone you want to have access to your chat-room-on-the-cheap, or glorified instant message board. Don't worry, setting up a Google account is nothing but win. Aside from being able to use Google Docs, you'll have access to a free email address, an excellent blogging client and all the other bells and whistles that have made Google the tech giant it is today.</p><p>To set up your free Google account, just follow <a href="https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount?service=mail&amp;continue=http://mail.google.com/mail/e-11-97a09a045205741af35b3d946c02-3c8416e0175771512eb5dab552b6826d5aa1e411&amp;type=2" target="_blank">this link</a> and answer any questions that the good people from Mountain View, CA. ask you.</p><p><img src="/files/u286882/set-up-account380.jpg" width="380" height="214" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>2. Meet Google Docs!</h3><p>Now that you have a Google account, it's time to put it to work. Navigate to Google Docs, located <a href="https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&amp;passive=1209600&amp;continue=https://docs.google.com/&amp;followup=https://docs.google.com/&amp;ltmpl=homepage" target="_blank">here</a>, and sign in with your new credentials. Once signed in, look to the top left corner of your browser's window for a button marked "Create new" and click it. You'll be presented with a number of options for the different types of Google Doc files you can create. For this exercise, choose "Document".</p><p><img src="/files/u286882/create300.jpg" width="300" height="109" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>3. Give it a Name</h3><p>You'll want to give your chat room document a name to set it apart from the other files that you'll no doubt dabble with moving forward. In the top left corner of your browser, click on the title field. A pop up box will open prompting you to give your document a title.</p><p>Once you've entered a title, enter a bit of text into the document, and click the save button.</p><p><img src="/files/u286882/rename-document380.jpg" width="380" height="214" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Step 4. Invite Some Folks Over</h3><p>With your chat room ready to go, you're gonna need some people to chat with. To invite a few folks over, turn your attention to the top right corner of the screen. Click the Share button and enter in the email addresses of the people that you want to chat with. An invitation will be send to the email addresses you enter.</p><p><img src="/files/u286882/share380.jpg" width="380" height="298" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>5. Get Your Chat On</h3><p>With your Google Doc chat room set up, and all of your friends invited, all that's left is to start chatting. Thanks to Google Docs new fangled integration with Android and iOS handsets, as well as just about every browser under the sun, you'll be able to chat in real time with your friends, co-workers and clients with as much or as little privacy as you please. Once the conversation is done, you can preserve the document for prosterity's sake, erase it or even send it out via email.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_build_chat_room_cheap_google_docs#commentschatCheapcollaborationGoogle DocsiPad How-TosiPhone How-TosiPod How-TosMac How-TosiPadiPhoneiPodMacHow-TosFri, 19 Nov 2010 19:12:42 +0000Seamus Bellamy8972 at http://www.maclife.com